Easily erected and easily dismantled stand



A g. 22, 1967 w. L. CANNING EASILY ERECTED AND EASILY DISMANTLED STAND Filed June 17, 1966 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,337,171 EASILY ERECTED AND EASILY DISMANTLED TAND Walter L. Canning, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Alex F. Walker & Associates, Inc., Royal Oak, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed June 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,367 3 Claims. (Cl. 248165) This invention relates to an easily erected and easily dismantled stand which is particularly suitable for supporting cumbersome items such as boats for example.

The handling, moving, supporting, and displaying of boats is especially difficult because they are large, heavy, and bulkily shaped when out of the water. They are also easily damaged and marred if not properly supported when moved about. Ordinary cradles themselves are a problem in that they too are heavy, cumbersome, large and permanently constructed. The ordinary cradles have been used only in the handling of large boats where they are absolutely necessary. With the smaller boats the cradles have not been used because they themselves create a problem of handling and storage when not in use.

Since boats are a seasonal item usually employed in warm weather, they are not suited to permanent handling installations such as in department stores, sporting goods houses, and other sellers as the space they occupy in the boat season must be used for other items in other seasons. Thus there is a need for a suitable stand for boats and other such seasonal items.

With the foregoing in view it is a primary object of the invention to provide an easily erected and easily dismantled stand which can be used during the season and which may be dismantled and stored in a minimum of space during the off-season.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand made of only two parts used in multiple thereby requiring minimum tooling and facilitating ease of manufacture and part inventory.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand which has only two parts used in multiple, i.e., two like cross members and four like legs.

Another object of the invention is to form the cross members so that they interfit with one another to form a channel and inerfit with the legs to provide an interlocking braced relationship.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand which has means such as a channel for interlocking with accessory equipment such as boat chocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for interconnecting two stands together and means for mounting casters or wheels on the legs thereby providing a movble cradle.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of a stand embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two interconnected stands of the invention supporting a boat and showing casters on the legs.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a stand showing boat chocks mounted thereon.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken on the line 3-3 thereof, with parts broken away, showing the interfit between the like channel members and with the legs.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken on the line 44 thereof showing the channel between the mating cross members and the adjustable mounting for the boat chocks; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken on the line 55 thereof, with parts broken away, showing the means for interconnecting two stands.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the novel stand disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises a pair of like cross members 10 and 11. Each cross member 10 and 11 is inverted L-shape in cross-section and has a top flange 12 and a side flange 13, FIG. 4. Each cross member 10 and 11 has an embossed or off-set vertical depression or socket 14 adjacent both ends of each side flange 13. The enibossment of the socket 14 distends or bulges out on the opposite side of the side flange 13 in a spacer bulge 15. Paired, vertically spaced bolt holes are formed in the socket 14-spacer bulge 15 location. The side flanges 13 are also provided with paired rod or pipe receiving apertures 16.

Each leg 17 is made of square tubing and bent to form a top connecting end 18-, an outwardly angling intermediate portion 19, and a bottom end 20. A caster or wheel 21 may be mounted on the bottom end 20 of each leg 17. The top connecting end 18 is provided with vertically spaced bolt holes.

The cross members 10 and 11 are oppositely disposed with the spacer bulges 15 abutting one another. This spaces the cross members 10 and 11 apart between the side flanges 13 and forms the channel 22. This also 10- cates the sockets 14 opposite one another. The top connecting ends 18 of a pair of legs 17 are oppositely disposed at one end of the cross members 10 and 11 in the sockets 14. A pair of bolts 23 and 24 are then inserted through the matching holes of both legs 17 of the pair and both cross members 10 and 11. A nut 25 is then threaded and tightened on both bolts 23 and 24. The bolts 23 and 24 hold the spacer bulges 15 opposite one another so that the channel 22 is established. The bolts 23 and 24 and nuts 25 pull the top ends 18 of the legs 17 into the sockets 14 of the cross members 10 and 11 where the shoulders of the sockets 14 abut and brace the legs 17. The sockets 14 also brace the cross members 10 and 11 at the legs 17. The other pair of legs 17 are then attached to the'other end of the cross members 10 and 11 and the stand is completely erected.

Two stands may be connected together. A pair of pipes or tie-rods 26 are positioned in the holes 16 of the cross members 10 and 11. A spacer 27 may surround the rod 26 between the side flanges 13 in the channel 22. A pair of nuts 28 threaded on the rod 26 on either side of the flanges 13 connect the ends of the rods 26 to the stands. The rods 26 thus interconnect the stands.

The top flanges 12 of the cross members 10 and 11 provide a wide flat supporting surface and a boat or other item may rest directly on them. Also sand bags or bumpers may be used on the top flanges to aid in stabilizing a boat. However it is found that adjustable chocks adjustably mounted on the top flanges 12 are preferable.

A pair of adjustable chocks 30 have a base 31 which is U-shaped in cross-section. The web portion 32 of the base 31 has at least one bolt hole. A bolt 33 extends through the bolt hole and leads through the channel 22 between the side flanges 13 of the members 10 and 11. A U-clip washer 34 fits over the end of the bolt 33 and a wing nut 35 abuts the clip 34. This secures the base 31 of the chock 30 on the stand and the clips 34 assist in holding the side 22. A head 36 U-shaped in cross-section is pivoted on the base 31 by a single bolt 37. A pad 38 is mounted on the head 36 as by a bolt and nut 39. The chocks 30 are positioned spaced apart at the back of the boat and closer a a together at the front of the boat to accommodate the different widths and angles of the bottom of the boat at either end.

It can now be seen that the novel stand is made of only two multiple parts: i.e., the two like cross members and the four like legs; that it is easily assembled and easily dismantled. When dismantled the cross members and the legs nest compactly for shipping and storage. With seasonal items the stands may be set up and after the season dismantled and stored. The stands may be used for supporting items other than boats such as furniture, appliances, automobile accessories, etc. Spanning boards may be placed on the stands and secured thereto such as by the bolts 33. Also more than two stands may be interconnected by the tie rods 26 such as three or 'four stands to support a heavy item such as an inboard-outboard cruiser. The casters 21 on the legs provide adequate support and this enables the user to pull a boat out of line for more careful inspection by a customer and it also provides facility for crowding boats together to save space such as at night in a building.

While only a single embodiment of the novel stand has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangement of the various elements of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An easily knock-down stand made of multiples of two like parts with one part being a cross member and the other part being a leg, comprising a pair of oppositely positioned cross members inverted L-shape in cross-section each comprising a top flange and a side flange with said side flanges lying back-toback;

each said side flange having at least two separated spacer bulges spacing said side flanges apart forming a channel therebetween;

said spacer bulges being embossed in said side flanges forming sockets in said side flanges opposite to and inversely of said spacer bulges forming two pairs of oppositely disposed leg sockets;

two pairs of like legs positioned in said sockets providing four supporting legs;

said legs and cross members in their spacer-socket location having aligned bolt receiving holes;

bolts extending through said aligned holes of said cross members and said legs, and

nuts tightened on said bolts urging said cross member spacer bulges together and urging said legs in said 4- sockets thereby fixedly interconnecting said cross members and legs in a sturdy stand.

2. In a stand as set forth in claim 1,

a stand accessory such as a boat chock on said top flanges of said stand,

a bolt leading through said accessory and extending through said channel between said side flanges, and

a nut on said bolt;

said nut when tightened on said bolt holding said accessory fixed on said cross members and when loosened on said bolt permitting linear adjustment of said bolt and accessory by sliding said bolt sidewise in said channel.

3. A knock-down stand including a pair of stand units each comprising:

a pair of oppositely positioned cross members inverted L-shape in cross-section each comprising a top flange and a side flange with said side flanges lying back-toback;

each said side flange having at least two separated spacer bulges spacing said side flanges apart forming a channel therebetween;

said spacer bulges being embossed in said side flanges forming sockets in said side flanges opposite to and inversely of said spacer bulges forming two pairs of oppositely disposed leg sockets,

two pairs of like legs positioned viding four supporting legs,

said legs and cross members in their spacer-socket location having aligned bolt receiving holes;

bolts extending through said aligned holes of said cross members and said legs,

nuts tightened on said bolts urging said cross member spacer bulges together and urging said legs into said sockets thereby fixedly interconnecting said cross members and legs in a sturdy stand;

said cross member side flanges having aligned holes for receiving tie rods; and

a pair of tie rods lying in said holes and secured to said stand units inter-connecting said stand units.

in said sockets pro- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,033. 2/1918 Shook 182 181 XR 1,677,439 7/1928 Fulton 248-129 XR 2,466,323 4/1949 Meyer 248l 2,903,258 9/1959 Jovanovich 248176 XR JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EASILY KNOCK-DOWN STAND MADE OF MULTIPLES OF TWO LIKE PARTS WITH ONE PART BEING A CROSS MEMBER AND THE OTHER PART BEING A LEG, COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY POSITIONED CROSS MEMBERS INVERTED L-SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTION EACH COMPRISING A TOP FLANGE AND A SIDE FLANGE WITH SAID SIDE FLANGES LYING BACK-TOBACK; EACH SAID SIDE FLANGE HAVING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATED SPACER BULGES SPACING SAID SIDE FLANGES APART FORMING A CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN; SAID SPACER BULGES BEING EMBOSSED IN SAID SIDE FLANGES FORMING SOCKETS IN SAID SIDE FLANGES OPPOSITE TO AND INVERSELY OF SAID SPACER BULGES FORMING TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LEG SOCKETS; TWO PAIRS OF LIKE LEGS POSITIONED IN SAID SOCKETS PROVIDING FOUR SUPPORTING LEGS; SAID LEGS AND CROSS MEMBERS IN THEIR SPACER-SOCKET LOCATION HAVING ALIGNED BOLT RECEIVING HOLES; BOLTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ALIGNED HOLES OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS AND SAID LEGS, AND NUTS TIGHTENED ON SAID BOLTS URGING SAID CROSS MEMBER SPACER BULGES TOGETHER AND URGING SAID LEGS IN SAID SOCKETS THEREBY FIXEDLY INTERCONNECTING SAID CROSS MEMBERS AND LEGS IN A STURDY STAND. 